It Would be my Pleasure
by The Queen Of Mischief
Summary: this is my first James Lily story, and I hope you like it. Feel free to comment, I'm ready to improvise. PLEASE R&R!


Lily had always disliked James Potter. She never really knew why. It was like some sort of reflex or something. Perhaps it was his arrogant I'm-the-greatest-thing-since-sliced-bread attitude. Things were different now though. She didn't know what had changed. He was still James Potter, charmer ultimate.

Not really, a voice said. He has changed. He has stopped pestering you to go out with him. And he is a little less arrogant. Plus he's stopped bullying Snape. That's a change.

Or maybe it's the fact that he's slightly mature. Somehow, the thought of a mature James did not appeal to her one bit. James was a free spirit. He was meant to fly, not be bound down by maturity. He changed for you, you idiot. Did that ever occur to you? It's your fault he's changed. The traitor, she thought bitterly. She couldn't believe what she was saying. She was basically calling herself a traitor. She was confusing herself.

Another voice in her said 'Have you noticed he's stopped being as perky and prank-y as before? He thought that's why you wouldn't go out with him. But it isn't, is it? It's because after all these years of being mean to the poor fellow, you think it would be stooping too low to go groveling at is feet like all those adorers. More importantly, you think he won't like you anymore.'

She sighed. She didn't know what to do. That was a first. She tried to think of what she'd said to him in the past. "Oh bugger off, Potter." Was one of the most common things she'd said to him. But he… she felt like crying at all the things he'd said and done for her. He had always told her how pretty and smart she was and last year, on her birthday, he had given her a pair of earrings with little silver broomsticks on them. She smiled, sadly. "Just something to remember me by," he had said. Instead of thanking him, she had demanded how he knew her birthday. He had just shrugged and said "You're welcome, Lily."

She felt her ears. There they were… the silver earrings. She couldn't control herself now. Tears rolled freely down her cheeks.

She felt like killing herself when James sauntered in, humming the school song, eating a huge bar of chocolate. He smiled brightly at her as he always did. "Good evening, Lilkins!" before he realized she was crying. Then it was like one of those funny pictures which work both ways around. His smile turned into a frown. "What happened, Lily? Are you okay?" He was genuinely concerned for her. This made her cry harder. James started to panic a bit. "If it's my fault you're crying, I'll go away," he suggested. "No, it's my fault, James." He heaved a sigh of relief, and stopped halfway because he realized that Lily was still crying.

He sat down next to her. It was a good thing they had a private dorm, and a password that no one, even Sirius, knew. He waited patiently, patting her back, until she was ready to talk.

"It's my fault I'm crying." She whispered.

"What? What did you do to yourself?" James was confused. He would never properly understand women, or poetry.

"Not myself…you. I'm crying because of what I did to you."

"Oh… Wait, what _did_ you do to me? I'm sorry, I know I'm being extremely insensitive and immature, I'm trying not to be, but I really do not know what's going on." He said apologetically.

She couldn't help but smile. It wasn't a happy one, though.

"No, James, please, please don't try to be mature and sensitive for me. I'm crying because you changed for me. You're not the immature, funny, prank playing charmer I know. And like." She added.

He grinned. "Immature, arrogant, prank playing charmer at your service, Ma'am"

She laughed. He wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Just don't cry because of me, Lily" he whispered in her ear.

"I'm sorry, James, for everything I've done to you."

"Think nothing of it, Lily, you were long forgiven.

……………………………………………………………………………………………...

A few weeks passed. Lily and James were now best buddies. (**A/N: Sirius, Remus and Peter were not forgotten, though Peter deserves to be. Nor were Lily's friends, Preeti Ravi [Parvati and Padma's mum, Alice Giorda[(Neville's mum Nymphandora Tonks [duh and Charli Potter [James' err, Cousin???.)**

"James, when's your birthday?" Lily asked randomly one day as they were walking in the garden.

"Uh-uh, not telling" she rolled her eyes at his immaturity, but knew if it wasn't there, he wouldn't be her best friend.

"If you don't tell, I'll just have to give you a present every single day, just in case." She said in a singsong voice.

"Okay, okay. If you _must_ know, it's tomorrow."

"What!? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" before she could continue, he piped up: You never asked…

She glared at him. He grinned.

She was up the whole night thinking about what she would give him. At the break of dawn, it hit her like a train.

She didn't attend the party Sirius had insisted on giving James, nor did she speak to him all day. James was very hurt. He tried to pass her a note in Potions, but she didn't reply. He wondered what he had done to upset her. He decided to apologize for whatever it was he had done later that night.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Later that night, he went up to her and said "I'm sorry, Lily."

She looked up, surprised. "What for?"

"I don't know. I figured I had done something wrong, cos you didn't talk to me all day."

She laughed. "I was too busy perfecting your present."

"Lily, you know you don't have to give me anything."

"I don't have to. I want to." She grinned.

They stood in silence for a moment.

"Well, do you want it?"

He nodded. He was so curious; he nodded a bit more vigorously than he would have preferred.

She stood up and kissed him, square on the lips.

He was stunned for a moment or two, until he started kissing her back.

"Could you possibly re-think the giving me a present every day? Except the same present every day?"

"It would be my pleasure."


End file.
